The winter is by and large a very tedious time. It becomes increasingly difficult to fit any time for riding into your day, once you have battled through the mud, the weather, the incredibly short-day length. And if you do get as far as the saddle, you are then faced with an under-ridden horse in sub-zero temperatures with a bracing wind. Hardly the perfect scenario. However, there are ways that you can enjoy time with your horses over the winter, without riding, which will improve your relationship with your horses, strengthen your bond, and give you both pleasure till Spring comes along.

Groundwork is a fantastic way to spend time with your horse, without riding. Groundwork in itself is incredibly rewarding and a richly diverse way of working with your horse. If you do ride your horse, then the groundwork is an excellent framework on which to base your ridden relationship. Groundwork has the advantage that you can do 5 minutes every day, which you can fit in around the light/weather/winter-generated-inertia conundrum which afflicts you in the winter.

Many of the problems that people face in their riding, stem from a problem on the ground, and indeed can you expect a horse to listen to the rider on their back, if they don’t listen to their handler on the ground? Your horse should be able to stand still at the end of a 12ft line without moving for up to 10 mins. If you want to set yourself a winter challenge practise this. It is surprisingly difficult, but achievable with good groundwork, and has the potential to transform your relationship with your horse.

I’m sure we have all seen horses that won’t load and seen the frustration that this can cause. Interestingly if you watch a professional work with a horse that is difficult to load, they often spend quite some time away from the lorry or trailer working with the horse on the ground. In some cases after a period of time doing groundwork, the horse will simply follow the handler up the ramp quite willingly, as the issue had not been with the loading, but rather with the communication on the ground.

You get such a good return from investing time in your groundwork. Horses that are a pleasure to handle are such a delight to have around, horses that back away from you willingly, move across at a slight pressure, offer their feet nicely for picking out, all of these seemingly simple moment combine towards creating a horse that is a joy to look after. So much of the time with our horses is spent simply being with them in and out of the stable, tending to them, leading them, that how well-trained the horse is on the ground is in some ways the marker that will make the biggest difference to our enjoyment of our time with them. So, this winter spend some time doing groundwork and you will reap the rewards in the summer.

]]>sufietaylor@hotmail.co.uk (Sufie)Behaviour - Your Horse's ViewWed, 17 Jan 2018 17:07:59 +0000TEACHING YOUR HORSE TO STAND STILLhttp://horseanswerstoday.com/behaviour/your-horse-s-view/item/1481-teaching-your-horse-to-stand-still
http://horseanswerstoday.com/behaviour/your-horse-s-view/item/1481-teaching-your-horse-to-stand-stillSTANDING STILL IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS YOUR HORSE SHOULD HAVE...

When the ground is slippery due to rain, mud, ice or snow, it’s more important than ever that your horse is relaxed when you’re leading him from the ground. It is just too scary when a horse gets overexcited and slips and the risk of injury is high.

Here’s a tip you can put into practice even if the weather is so bad you can’t get your horse out of the stable or field! Standing still is one of the most important exercises that a horse can become skilled at. It’s essential in your ridden work from a safety point of view – no one wants their horse to move off as they get on, or walk off during the ‘halt, salute’ of Prelim 14, or to fidget into the path of an oncoming car out hacking!

Pick an area to ask your horse to stand still, for example a corner of the stable. Stand directly in front of him, so that you can see his hind feet when you look between his front feet. Back away from him one step, leaving the rope loose so that he doesn’t think you’re leading him forwards. If he stands still, walk gently back to him after around five seconds, and give him a stroke as a reward, then repeat the exercise several times. If he takes a step, quickly move him back to the position that he was originally in, and begin the exercise again.

After a few repetitions, if you are being clear with your body language and your timing, your horse will begin to understand that you are asking him to stand still, and rewarding him when he does so. You can then develop the exercise by backing further and further away from him or stepping out to the side rather than directly back. Try to focus on the reward, rather than the correction. Each time you progress the exercise, remember it’s the reward the lets the horse know he’s done the right thing.

Horse massage is another a great way of encouraging your horse to stand still, be calm, and trust in his handler. You can then put this calmness and trust into practice when the ground outside is slippery!

Is your horse happy when you do his girth up? If the answer is yes, then good, but make sure you know what to do should that no longer be the case. It is all too easy for our horses to slip, or spin in the field, or simply turn awkwardly and strain a muscle. You might not see this, you might not know, until you go to girth up your horse and he puts his ears back. Equally you might have a horse that has always put his ears back, and you have simply accepted it as part of his behaviour.

Remember your horse is only capable of communicating with you through his behaviour, it is up to us to make sure that we are listening. We always recommend that you begin with the eliminating the possibility that the horse is in pain before you begin to alter the behaviour. There is no point is challenging your horse’s behaviour till you are confident that it is not a pain response. All you are doing if you do that, is cutting off the opportunity for the horse to communicate with you.

Your horse may have always put his ears back, or started doing it recently, either way you can start to resolve this problem. Have a good professional check your horse over, so that you can rule out whether the behaviour is a pain issue. This may include a physio or osteopath, a saddle fitter, a dentist. Remember pain can be referred, so don’t assume it must be a problem with the girth.

Once you have thoroughly investigated and are confident that the horse is not in pain, then two things will happen. Either the behaviour will stop, as the horse realises he is not in pain, or it will continue, as a learnt response. The horse has learnt the association between the girth being done up and pain. Their behaviour is a response that has been learnt from the pain reaction. It is possible to re-train the horse not to respond in this way.

Begin the re-training by breaking down the process into small pieces and re-training each part of the process. Identify where the horse’s reaction begins. Does he start to fidget when you pick up the saddle, or does he only flinch when you actually do the girth up? Dependent on the severity of the reaction, it will take a proportional length of time to correct the training. Remember to spend time on each stage of the process, rewarding the desired response with praise, or some action that your horse enjoys, such a scratch on the withers. Be wary of simply using food as a reward, as this can lead to further problems. Once each stage of the process has been broken down and worked on, you will be able to join them together and be able to saddle and girth up your horse, while he remains happy and relaxed.

"When Mary went to get back down onto the mounting block her foot slipped, and both the mounting block and Mary ended up underneath Apple her horse! Apple freaked, took off, and trampled Mary on his way! Now both horse and rider are petrified and Mary hasn't been able to get back on - what on earth are we going to do?!"

What we did was break the end goal down into small, achievable steps. Firstly, we taught Apple to move forwards, backwards, sideways, and around, when asked. Next we asked him to stand by the mounting block, with no one on the block. When he did this for a few seconds, I led him away - remember it's the release that teaches the horse that he's done the right thing.

We progressed to having someone standing on the mounting block, and asking him to stand. Initially he chose to stand on the wrong side of the block - that's fine, it's still standing. Gradually we asked him to stand the other side of the block, and then another. I kept rewarding him by leading him away from the block when he got it right for a few seconds, but only stroked and talked to him when he was standing by the block. The release of leading him away lets him know he's done the right thing, but the stroking and gentle murmuring when he's by the block lets him know that it is a safe and comfortable place to be.

Finally, we employed the 'moving over' work. I used a schooling stick as an extension of my arm (because I don't have Go-Go-Gadget arms!) to touch the far side of his quarters and ask him to move them towards me, whilst I was standing on the mounting block. Initially he found this difficult to understand, but as always, the key is in releasing the very instant he responds, this has to be instant, so imagine the release has to be as quick as if you had touched a burning hot oven.

Because Mary was so nervous, I did the majority of the initial work myself. This meant that Apple could learn more quickly, because my experience made my timing and application more accurate than Mary's would have been. I talked Mary through the whole process, and once Apple understood, then Mary was easily able to replicate it.

Within 30 minutes, Mary had got on and off Apple at least 20 times, and I set her homework for the next few days of mounting at least 50 times each day. A couple of days later I had a report back "Apple has been really good to get on. He's presenting himself to the block and moving away from the stick if he's too far away and I need for him to straighten up. He hasn't moved a foot on any of the numerous times I've got on him. I feel so much more confident now - thank you!"

Warning horse owners and those who are planning fireworks celebrations in areas near to where horses live please take extra care during November when fireworks and bonfires associated with Guy Fawkes and Diwali celebrations could frighten and cause injury to horses. It is estimated that around 60% of all animals become distressed by the loud noise and flashing lights of fireworks, however horses living outside may be more vulnerable. Petplan Equine in association with Petplan Equine veterinary expert Gil Riley, has compiled a handy list of dos and don’ts for horse owners and event organisers alike to help ensure this year’s celebrations go off with a bang without anyone taking fright!

Horse Owners’ Top Tips

“We must remember that, being flight animals, even the most sensible horses can be prone to bolting when frightened which can lead to injury to the horse or others. The most important advice I can give horse owners is to be aware and prepared by making sure your horse is as safe and secure as possible”, explains Gil Riley.

Find out in advance when and where fireworks displays are taking place – check local listings, social media and tune into your local radio station

If you know of an event close by contact organisers and ask them to stick to an agreed time and if possible, aim fireworks in the opposite direction

If a display is due to take place in a field adjacent to where your horse grazes, consider moving him for the evening

However, unless there’s a need to move your horse, maintaining a normal routine will help to keep his confidence

If your horse normally lives out, then avoid additional stress by stabling him. If leaving your horse out, make sure all fencing and gates are secure, that electricity is working and there are no protruding nails etc. on which the horse could harm himself.

If you decide to stable your horse make sure he has a thick bed with high banks and that there is nothing obvious on which he could injure himself.

Give your horse plenty of hay to keep him occupied

Leaving a radio on can muffle fireworks and help to keep him calm.

Ear covers or cotton wool can help to reduce the noise

Stay with your horse or ask someone to stay with him – not all horses worry about fireworks but those that do need reassuring. Make sure you check on your horse even if he is normally calm.

If your horse is particularly nervous or you know that he is easily ‘spooked’ by fireworks it could be a good idea to ask your vet to prescribe a mild sedative.

Ensure a supply of sand, water and serviceable fire extinguishers by stables

If you are not on site, leave your details visible on a plaque on the gate so you can be contacted if there’s a problem

After a fireworks event has taken place check your fields for spent fireworks as these could cause injury at a later date

Check you have adequate third party liability insurance in place as the law states that you will be liable should your horse escape and cause injury or damage to a third party or their property

Event Organisers’ Top Tips

If you’re planning to have fireworks and there are horses stabled nearby, then please consider horses in the area.

Firstly, it’s a good idea to leaflet and email all residents and livery yards within a radius of two or three miles with details of your fireworks display

Announce your fireworks event using social media by uploading details to your Facebook page and tweet about it in advance

Be as specific as possible about when the display will take place and try to stick to this so that horse owners can be prepared at this time.

Consider using lower-noise fireworks, i.e. those registered under category two of the British standard – e.g. garden fireworks

If you have horses that live close by try if possible to set the fireworks off in the opposite direction

REMEMBER As horses are flight animals every care must be taken to ensure their safety and that of others when the atmosphere lights up with fireworks. While no one wants to spoil the party, a little forethought and communication can go a long way to making sure events go off with a bang without frightening the horses.”

A QUICK GUIDE TO YOUR HORSES' DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION STYLESLearn to better understand and interact with your horse by speaking his language and understanding what's going on in his life.

Have you ever stopped to listen to what your horse is saying? Understanding your horse's communication will help you understand what's going on in his world. Grasp the basics of the most common signals he will give you with this quick guide.

EYES - What does he see?

Some features of your horses' eye are unique in the animal kingdom so it's useful to understand how he sees and receives visual signals from others.

A horses' eye is much wider and deeper than a humans and enables him to see nearly 360 degrees, meaning a horse can just about see its tail without turning his head. He only has four blind spots; above his head, under his chin, just in front of his head and directly behind him. This complex eye anatomy allows your horse to see both close up and far away. His long-distance vision allows him to pick up signals such as impeding danger when another horse is raising his tail. His middle vision helps him communicate with the herd, such as a higher- ranked horse warning him not to move into his personal space. Close-up vision enables him to interpret very subtle facial expressions such as a relaxed mouth which indicates submissiveness.

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR:

Horses' use different signals to communicate aggression and can include anything from eye contact to biting. Most horses will use a mix of various signals, giving warnings to try and defuse any encounter and avoid a full-scale fight. By recognizing this sequence of actions, you can take steps to avoid a confrontation.

REALXED OR READY TO RUN?

Your horse uses his whole body to indicate whether he is relaxed or alert. He does this both to communicate danger to other horses and to prepare himself for escape.

A relaxed horse lowers his head, leaves his ears in a neutral position and is probably evenrelaxing a hind-leg. A loose mouth, particularly with a tongue hanging out is also a sign of a relaxed horse.An alert horse holds his head higher, tenses the muscles in his neck and focuses his eyes

and ears in the direction he senses danger. He is also likely to raise his tail as he may need to expel dung as this ensures he is at his lightest weight if he needs to run away from the danger.If a horse senses fear he may also start to toss his head or start showing the white of his eye, he needs to be able to

see clearly and theadrenalin in his body causes his eyes to widen and consequently more white of the eye is shown.

WHAT IS HE TRYING TO SAY - A variety of vocal expressions will be used:

Whickering - A greeting between horses and to people they are close to.

Roaring - A self assertive greeting normally used by geldings and stallions. It's as if one is saying to the other I'm in charge.

Snorting - (Short expulsions of air through the nostrils) a warning to other horses' that they may be danger around.

Blowing - (Expelling longer burst of air trough the nostrils) Indicates to other horses' that there is no danger and they can relax.

Squealing - Is used if one horse enters another's personal space.

WATCH OUT FOR EAR ACTION:

A horse that has both ears forward is focusing his attention ahead of him. To determine if he is alert and looking for danger or simply relaxed and interested in what's going on around him, look at his body posture.When the ears are pointing in different ways he is splitting his attention between two events. Follow the direction of his ears to see what he is focusing on.An ear that point backwards indicates that the horse is focusing his attention behind. Ears that are pressed flat back don't necessarily mean aggression. He could simply be defensive of another horse entering his personal space.Whether aggressor or defender, ears are kept out of the away to avoid injuryin a confrontation.

HOW DOES HE USE SMELL?

A horses' sense of smell is used in many different ways. Horses often sniff each other as a greeting and may also sniff dung to ascertain the age and sex of another horse. The most dramatic use of smell is the 'Flehmen' where the horse curls his upper lip back while raising his head in response to a strange smell. Stallions also respond in this way after sniffing mares in season. The horse does this to further analyse a smell. He has an extra sensory organ at the back of his nasal passages and, by raising his head and taking in air through both his mouth and nostrils; he gets a stronger sense of smell.

.1.Build him back into work gradually especially if he has had time off. We're always short of time these days, and trying to get your horse fit too quickly doesn’t allow the bones, joints and soft tissue to adapt and strengthen, leading to an increased risk of injury or lameness. For a horse who has had 3 months or more off , work on a basic outline of 6 weeks in walk, 6 weeks in walk and trot, then 6 weeks in walk, trot and canter, before you star jumping.

2.Warm him up without a rider on. We tend to think of ‘warming up’ as ridden exercises, but we’re quite a weight on our horse’s back, and he’d be better able to carry us if his muscles were warmed up before we got on. Lead him around the yard for 5 minutes before you get on, in walk and trot, and you’ll soon feel the benefits for yourself as well.

3.Bend him lots. Stiffness in the neck is detrimental to the whole horse. Use carrot stretches from the ground, but rather than using carrots and risking having your finger bitten off, put a few grass nuts or herbal treats in the bottom of a feed scoop and use that to encourage his head round. If he keeps moving away from you, do the stretches in a stable where his bottom is in one corner, so that he can’t easily move his body backwards or away from you. That way he’s more likely to focus on bending his neck around to get the treat.

If someone has ever invaded your personal space uninvited, then you will know just how your horse feels when you turn him out with a field companion he has never met before. Turning your horse out in a different field may be easy for you, but meeting a new feild companion can be a traumatic experience for your horse.

TIPS

Horses have a strong need for companionship and most will accept each other if they are given enough time to establish their relationship.

Horses’ who have had little social interaction, including those that have been stable for long periods of their lives, will take longer to be accepted as they aren’t familiar with the body language of other horses’

Leave the existing horse in the feildH you propose to introduce the second horse too, moving him will only make him unsettled and nervous and less acceptance of the process.

Make sure if you are introducing a mare that she is not in season, she is less sensitive when out of season. A mare with a foal at foot will not readily accept a strange horse.

STEP BY STEP - INTRODUCING YOUR HORSE TO ANOTHER HORSE

1.Make sure the field you are introducing the second horse in to is large enough to give both horses space to gallop around, but also to get out of each others way if need be. The field must be safe with no obstacles, poor fencing or rabbit holes. Allow the two horses to see each other and communicate visually, turn the second horse out in an adjacent field, take off the head collar and leave the field – remember striking out with the forelimb is a normal reaction and part of the greeting ritual, but can be dangerous to you so you are safer out of the way.

2.Both horses will naturally be curious and approach the fence, each will ask each other for permission to invade each others space, they will do this by approaching and retreating several times, once at the fence they will make contact by sniffing each other, nostril to nostril. They will normally position themselves at an angle for protection should either horse strike out.

3.Within minutes both horses will sniff each other around the head and neck. Their bodies will be quite tense as they flick their ears, arch their necks and flare their nostrils whilst making vocal expressions, blowing, snorting, which is both welcome and warning.

4.Over the next day or two keep a close eye on how much time they spend together whilst grazing in their separate fields. You should witness them nuzzling each other regularly and if all is going really well they might even be grooming each other over the fence. This is an important step as it means each horses has accepted the other into his personal space. They may even attempt to play with each other by running up and down the fence line together.

5.Once the horses have accepted each others company you can turn them out in the existing horse’s field, catch the existing horse and hold him well away from the gate, lead the new horse in and release both horses at the same time, leave the field immediately as both horses are likely to canter around.

6.Don’t worry if one horse chases or uses driving behaviour towards the other- they are just establishing their relationship, this may continue for a couple of hours or even a few days. However if the horses don’t settle down after a couple of days and one gets increasingly aggressive, whilst the other is trying to avoid him, then the horse showing aggression has rejected the other. If this happens go back to the first step and try again, allowing more time for each step.

7.Once the horses are together in the field, try not to separate them for long periods of time until they are displaying pair bond behaviour (Read about bond behaviour) – This may take anything from a day to a month.

]]>Behaviour - Your Horse's ViewWed, 01 Mar 2017 16:51:00 +0000HOW DOES A HORSE TELL YOU IF HE IS NOT WELL?http://horseanswerstoday.com/behaviour/your-horse-s-view/item/367-your-horses-stable-behaviour-a-clues-of-a-horse-not-feeling-well
http://horseanswerstoday.com/behaviour/your-horse-s-view/item/367-your-horses-stable-behaviour-a-clues-of-a-horse-not-feeling-wellBEHAVIOUR AND CLUES OF A HORSE NOT FEELING WELLThere are many different ways in which your horse tells you that all is not well in his world!

It's vital that you know what is normal behaviour for your horse and what needs further investigation. It's always fascinating to see how many people just do not seem to really notice the changes in their horse! We have come across people who cannot recognise that their horse is obviously lame and others who are not worried when their horses are displaying signs of colic.

Once you know what you are looking for it really doesn't take long to ascertain whether your horse is feeling well or not. All it takes is to look and to really see what is in front of you! Having seen, you then need to know what to do!

Here are a few indicators of what to look for in your stabled horse:

When you first go to your horse does he greet you in the normal way? Is he looking out, showing an interest in what is going on? Sometimes, you may get to the stables and your horse is still 'in bed' ie lying down. If that's the case, does he act as normal? Remember all horses are different, some may get up straight away and come and say hello whilest others are quite happy to stay lying down, and let you give them a fuss while they are relaxing!

It's important that you know how your horse reacts - and if he doesn't react in his normal way just note it and see whether there are any other signs that things might be amiss. For instance, does his bed look as it normally does? Or has he obviously been getting up and down a lot, disturbing his bedding more than normal? Has he eaten his hay and consumed the normal amount of water? Is there the usual amount of wet and soiled bedding or is there more or less? Does his urine look or smell different?

1.If your horse's drinking pattern has changed and there are changes in his urine it is worth discussing this with your vet as such changes could mean there are internal problems or a blood disorder.If your horse seems to be off colour it's worth checking your horses vital signs ie temperature, pulse and respiration and monitoring him closely - you can always speak to your vet on the phone too.

2. Hopefully you will know how your horse moves in his box, how easy he finds it to lie down and get up and to move across when asked. If your horse isn't moving too well it could indicate problems. For instance, if he can't get up easily it's possible he has back or limb difficulties; if he finds it difficult to move across when asked he could be feeling pain eg in his feet or pelvis. Do take any opportunity to see how your horse lies down and gets up again - if he doesn't lie down much perhaps he has trouble co-ordinating his movement. Assuming that your horse has a decent bed - it is unfair to give your horse inadequate bedding - how would you like to sleep night after night on just a hard board?

3. Devote a little time and observe how your horse spends time in his stable. Does he, for instance, tend to stand resting his hindquarters against a wall of the stable, or standing with his hind end up on the banks of his bedding? If so, he's trying to say that he is experiencing some discomfort or pain in his pelvis and hind limbs. If one day you find him standing all tucked up you should know that he's feeling pain, possibly internally. Perhaps he stands rather stretched out? If so, he'll need his back checking as this is a sign of pain in the back. Always check how he is standing - for instance, pointing a toe is not usual and indicates pain in the foot.

4. Your horse will be eating hay and short feed in his box. Remember that if you feed from the floor, rather than having haynets suspended, or having feed mangers at chest height, your horse will be imitating a more natural method of feeding. Feeding on the floor also helps the alignment of your horse's teeth. If you suspect any problems with eating - or see problems such as your horse quidding his feed - then get him checked with the first port of call normally being an equine dental technician.

5. You might think that your horse has certain behavioural traits just because that's the way he is. Well, a lot of 'behavioural problems' arise because of pain or management problems. For instance, if your horse hates having his rugs put on or taken off it's worth checking that the rugs do actually fit properly! Imagine if you had to wear clothes which constantly pinched you - you'd soon be pretty miserable! If your horse hates his rugs so much that he tries to tear them off it's worth getting his spine and soft tissues checked as irritation here may be contributing to the problem.How does your horse take to his feet being picked out? Hopefully he'll be fine - if he's not it's possible he has pain in his back, pelvis or shoulder or he has balance problems. Is your horse constantly rubbing his legs against the stable door or his manger? This could indicate inflammation, foot or pelvic pain.

6. It's quite common to see horses retreating to the back of their stables when their owners appear with their tack. It's possible that the saddle doesn't fit - sadly more common than a lot of people realise - or the horse feels some pain when ridden eg in back, in feet. Whatever the cause, it's perhaps not surprising that the horse says he's not happy about being tacked up. Unfortunately many owners seem to ignore such signals!

7. If your horse is very stressy in his stable it could be that he is rather claustrophobic or that he is just not used to being stabled. If he tends to rush through the doorway it's likely that in the past he's caught himself on the door frame and has hurt himself.

Some horses will put up with a lot of pain or discomfort before they complain and some will let you know immediately if they are feeling off. Here are a few pointers to help you recognize problems:

Being difficult to catch - if your horse is normally easy to catch up and starts to become more difficult you need to find out why. It could be that he or she no longer enjoys being ridden - is this because of a badly fitting saddle? Or are you asking too much in your work sessions? Of course it may be that she is always like this for a few weeks in spring - that's fine! It's important to know your horse and to stop and think if their behaviour changes.

Moving away or pulling faces when you groom, approach with a saddle or tack up. This may escalate to biting or kicking out when being brushed or saddled etc. There are things you can check for yourself - like whether the saddle fit is okay or not - see our saddle fitting advice in the Horse care.

Just because your horse has always pulled faces when saddled, from the first day you had him, does not mean that this behaviour is okay! There is always a reason for everything so get your horse checked out.

Being difficult to mount is another indicator of problems eg with the saddle or the back muscles.

Sinking once the rider has mounted - being cold backed is often said to be the reason for this - yes, it is a resulting behaviour but the true reason for the 'cold back' needs to be addressed.

Rushing - some people are pleased that their horses are 'keen' and zoom towards jumps, won't settle to canter calmly and so on. Sadly, the reasons behind such behaviours are often related to discomfort or pain. Once the issue has been resolved the horse will still jump etc - and better than he previously did!

Bucking - yes, horses do sometimes buck out of sheer 'joie de vivre' but they also buck because something is hurting. The two types are very different!

Rearing - usually something horses resort to if all their other signs of not being well have been ignored! It's like us shouting if no one will listen when we talk in a normal way.

Refusing to move, throwing themselves on the floor - horses can resort to such behaviour because their pain-related problems have not been addressed. How would you feel if you were hurt and no one could be bothered to help you?

Shortening of the normal strides - this can be difficult for a rider to pick up, especially if it happens gradually over a period of time.

The horse cannot turn properly and shuffles around, instead of making definite moves with his legs and placing his hindlegs well under his body.

Appearing stiff throughout his body.

Taking longer than usual to warm up.

Refusing to jump or trying to get the process over with as quickly as possible.

Finding certain things difficult that used to be easy eg walking up a ramp into a lorry.

2. If the problem is boredom

While pain issues are behind the majority of so-called 'problem' horses there are some instances where bored or worried horses fill their time with activities that we regard as 'bad'. For instance, an anxious horse kept on its own may start to box walk - this is not the horse's fault, as horses should be kept with their own kind.

Horses are meant to be out in fields, sharing time with their equine friends. If you keep your horse on its own you should think about other options - it is highly unnatural for a horse to live alone and you could be creating more problems for yourself. Is it possible for you to take on a companion horse or pony from one of the equine charities?

Even if your horse lives with other horses, are you giving him adequate time out in the field to chill out and relax? It seems that many livery yards are imposing a 'zero turnout' or 'limited turnout' in the winter months, which is not ideal. If your yard operates such a policy, question it, if it is still a no then you have no alternative, you should perhaps think about changing your routine to help your horse.

We are all busy but allowing time to hand graze your horse, or take him for longer rides, or arranging extra visits from you or another family member, will help to break up the day and alleviate the boredom for your horse. Always ensure he has plenty of hay to eat - or, if weight gain is a problem, try some of the toys available, or split his hay up and fix haynets in more than one place in the stable.

Work is the biggest cure for boredom - so consider sharing your horse with a suitable person if you can't give your horse enough work.

Think about your horse's weekly work programme and try to include a mix of schooling, hacking and jumping to give your horse variety.

When you do ride, teaching your horse new things, such as lateral movements, or trying new experiences, such as long-lining your horse, will help to keep him interested. While it's difficult during the week in winter for working owners to go on long rides, try to go for long hacks at weekend, assuming your horse is fit enough.

3. Perhaps there is a temperament issue

If you have established that there genuinely is no pain or discomfort issue and your horse is not bored or worried because he lives on his own, then perhaps his less than perfect behaviour is linked to his temperament. Horses' generally enjoy working and the harder they work the more they enjoy it, however some times this is just not enough and after much trying and working around things you can't deal with the horse, then perhaps finding him another, more suitable home, is the best thing you can do for him - and you!More great horse behaviour articles and tips helping you understand your horse betterTEACH YOUR HORSE TO STAND STILL READ MORE